Secrets of the Gods*~*
by katilda
Summary: This is part one of what I hope will be an ongoing story. Xena and Gabrielle meet a goddess with a secret and a facinating story.


Secrets of the Gods  
  
By *~*katilda*~*  
  
Note to readers: ok, first of all, none of the characters from Xena: Warrior Princess belong to me, I'm not making any money from this, please don't sue.  
  
Second, this is my first Xena fic that I've actually finished, and I would LOVE to hear what you think about it. If people really like it, I may continue the story. PLEASE review this story. It only takes a second and it would mean a lot to me.  
  
Third note to reader: this story takes place somewhere in the last season, after the last time Xena sees her daughter Eve.  
  
Okay, now on with the story:  
  
  
  
CHAPTER ONE  
  
  
  
"So how far is Athens from here, Xena?" asked Gabrielle.  
  
"Only about three days and a half's journey if we keep up this pace." Xena answered her friend." The two had been traveling to across Greece to meet Xena's old friend, Soronious, who had invited them to his wedding feast.  
  
"I hear Eve's preaching in a small village just Athens. We should stop by and pay her a visit. We haven't seen her since our little adventure with the Amazons," Gabrielle suggested.  
  
"Yes, that would be great," said Xena, smiling at the thought of seeing her daughter again.  
  
The goddess appeared behind them in a flash of violet light.  
  
"Xena."  
  
Xena and Gabrielle whirled around to see who had spoken. They turned to face a young woman who appeared to be about seventeen years old. She was tall and slender with long, black hair and deep, piercing blue-green eyes. Her outfit, clearly that of a warrior, was made of violet leather and consisted of a silver-studded halter top, a short pleated skirt, and violet warrior boots.  
  
"We need to talk, Xena," the goddess stated.  
  
"About what?" Xena demanded, eyeing the unknown deity with suspicion.  
  
"About many things. My name is Rayelle, and I am the Goddess of Passion."  
  
Xena and Gabrielle exchanged confused glances, and Gabrielle spoke up, "I've never heard of you before."  
  
Rayelle smiled and said, "Many people haven't heard of me. I promise I will explain everything to you soon. Where are you two headed?"  
  
"Athens," Xena said.  
  
Before she could say another word, they were all standing outside the Athens city wall. Xena and Gabrielle looked around, stunned, and Xena turned to Rayelle.  
  
"Do you think you could've given us a little warning?"  
  
"I'm sorry, Xena. I won't do it again without telling you first." Rayelle replied apologetically.  
  
"And where's my horse?"  
  
"Argo has been sent to the finest stable in Athens, where she will be fed and cared for. Trust me, Xena, she's just fine."  
  
Gabrielle looked the goddess in a confused way and asked, "Is there something in particular that you need from us, Rayelle?"  
  
"I just want to know the truth, that's all. I promise I will explain everything, but first, I'll get us a suitable place to stay."  
  
Xena stopped her and said, "If you don't mind, I'd like to do this the mortal way."  
  
  
  
CHAPTER TWO  
  
An hour later Xena had checked up on Argo, who was extremely pleased to be fed and pampered by the stable workers. Rayelle had tagged along with Xena, and Gabrielle had found a decent inn. When they met at the inn a little later, Xena sat down with Gabrielle and Rayelle around the fireplace in their room.  
  
"Rayelle, please tell us what it is that's so important," Xena persuaded.  
  
"Well, some of this may be a little hard to believe, but you'll have to trust my word."  
  
With that, Rayelle, the Goddess of Passion, began her story.  
  
"I was raised as an ordinary peasant by my adoptive parents in the village of Talpodia. I possessed no powers and I truly had no idea I was a goddess. I always felt different somehow, but I could never place it.  
  
One day when I was fifteen years old, an infamous warlord named Diocletus attacked our village. Luckily, a hero named Hercules was passing through the area, and he helped us to defend ourselves and ward off the army. As he and the men of our town were fighting the army, I watched him from the safety of an empty tavern.  
  
The next thing I knew, a warrior broke into the tavern and he attacked me. I yelled for help but no one could hear me over the fierce battle outside. I was too terrified to freeze, so I grabbed the object nearest to me-a broom-and I broke off the end so it was just like a staff. I swung it around, and it was amazing. A feeling of power surged through me like a waterfall! I knew what I had to do to defend myself. I swung at his stomach, causing him to crouch down, and then I swung at his cheek with the other side! He rubbed the side of his face and then grinned at me. When he charged with his sword, I swung the broom around it so fast, I disarmed him and the sword went flying through the window. I hit him a couple more times with the broom until he was cornered. Then I gathered all my energy into one final swing that knocked him unconscious.  
  
Outside, The battle ceased, and Hercules had saved our village. We invited him to stay for a while, and since he was hungry and had no place else to stay, he accepted our offer and agreed to stay for a couple of weeks. That night I approached Hercules in the tavern and asked him to teach me some of his moves. The local men standing around him laughed at me and told me that I would never be a warrior, and that I was just a silly girl wasting her time. They told me to go home and play with my dolls. When I refused to leave until I had spoken to Hercules, they had me thrown out of the tavern by one of the men.  
  
The next day I cornered Hercules as he was walking to get some breakfast and I pleaded to him, "Please teach me how to fight like you do! I'm not just a silly girl, I'm meant to be a warrior! I didn't even realize it until yesterday when I was attacked by one of the warriors and I fought him."  
  
Hercules looked at me, stunned, and asked, "Did you really right one of those warriors?" I nodded and he smiled. "Alright, kiddo. I'll see what you've got. But after I eat some breakfast. And you'd better eat too. You'll need all the energy you can get."  
  
Then he suggested that I eat with him, so I could explain how I defeated one of the dangerous warriors. We had a nice meal, and I told him everything about the previous day. After we had eaten, we went just outside the city so I could prove to him that I was meant to be a warrior. He taught me how to swordfight and he was surprised at what a fast learner I was. He told me that he'd met very few people to whom fighting came so naturally. He was obviously impressed with my skills because he promised to teach me to fight like a true warrior.  
  
The next day I sure was sore! I had a couple of bruises and scratches, and my entire body ached with pain. Despite the pain, I was too stubborn to take a day off from training. I ordered Hercules not to go easy on me because I was a young girl, and he told me he wouldn't. Every day for the next three weeks he trained me not only in the skills, but in the values of a good warrior. He taught me that I should only use my skills in emergencies, and that I should always fight for the greater good.  
  
The day came when Hercules had to leave, and it was a sad day for our village, as we had grown rather fond of our hero. To me, however, he was more than a hero or a teacher. He was like the big brother I never had. "Goodbye, Hercules," I said, "I'm forever in your debt."  
  
He looked down at me and said, "Rayelle, you can repay me by making a difference in the world. Remember what I taught you, and take care." We hugged and exchanged our final farewells. He then left Talpodia.  
  
  
  
CHAPTER THREE  
  
After Hercules left, a couple of boys a few years older than me started teasing me about learning how to fight. They told me that girls couldn't fight, even if Hercules taught them to. Though I was temped to prove them wrong, I remembered what Hercules taught me about not abusing my skills and I refrained from kicking their butts. I knew that I was destined to be more than a common townswoman, so I questioned my adoptive parents about where I was from.  
  
"Well, Rayelle, your mother and I promised Ares we wouldn't tell anyone, even you, who you are," explained my father.  
  
"Ares?" I eyed him questionably, "The God of War?"  
  
My mother threw her hands up in the air with exasperation and yelled, "Damn it, Sirrus! Can't you do anything right?!" They proceeded to argue and didn't notice me heading to my room to pack my satchel.  
  
That night I snuck out of the village, and started the long journey to Ares' temple. Along the way I stopped at different villages and I even helped one village scare off a small group of thugs. I had begun my quest to do good in the world, but I still needed to find out who I was.  
  
When I had reached Ares' temple, I began to feel nervous. The temple itself was a bit intimidating, and its size amazed me. I had never been inside a real temple before, and I wondered if I should knock on the door or walk right in. I decided that it would be appropriate to knock. I approached the door and took a deep breath, but right before I could grab the door-knocker, both doors flew wide open. I was surprised, but I pushed aside my fear and stepped inside. In front of me was a huge alter with offerings on it-whoops! I knew I had forgotten something! Oh well, maybe Ares wouldn't mind that I hadn't brought him an offering. Behind the alter was a silver throne with dark red, velvet cushions, truly fit for a God of War. The candlelit walls were decorated with homely paintings of gruesome, bloody battle scenes that gave me the chills. Different weapons, some that I'd never seen before, hung from the walls in the places that were not occupied with the paintings.  
  
Behind me, the doors slammed shut, and I whirled around, startled. I was facing the doors when I heard a deep voice from behind me demand, "Who are you, and where is my offering?"  
  
I swiveled around to face Ares, the God of War himself. He glared down at me, and waited for me to find the courage to speak. "Umm," I stammered, "I don't have an offering."  
  
"Oh, great!" said Ares, sounding annoyed. He walked to his throne and lazily sat down sideways in it. "Well, who are you?"  
  
"Well, my name is Rayelle, and I'm from the village of Talpodia."  
  
Ares did a double take, and tried to hide his complete astonishment-he wasn't very good at it. He tried to play it cool, asking, "So, Rayelle- that's your name, isn't it?" I nodded. He knew fully well who I was. "Uhh, what brings you to my temple?"  
  
I couldn't believe my eyes! I was making the God of War nervous! "How could this be?" I asked myself.  
  
"Ares," I addressed him, more confidently, "I know you know who I am. I came here so you could tell me."  
  
"Huh? I mean, what are you talking about?"  
  
"Don't play dumb with me, Ares. Please just tell me the truth."  
  
"Well," Ares began nervously, "I am your father. You see, your mother-an evil mortal-and me had a little thing going, and when I found out that she was pregnant with you, I couldn't risk you falling into her hands. So before she could find out she was pregnant, I took you and asked my sister Aphrodite to carry you inside her. She agreed, so she carried you and she bore you. When you were born, however, we soon realized that you possessed the powers of a full god, instead of a demigod as we had predicted. We feared your real mother would find out and try to claim you, so we kept you a secret and you lived on Olympus until you were ten years old-of course, gods age more slowly than mortals, so you were a toddler when you became in great danger. Many of the other gods were trying to kill your mother, and we feared they would plot to kill you also if they knew who your real mother was. We invoked the help of a mortal couple to raise you in the isolated village of Talpodia. We couldn't let you keep your powers, of course, so we took them and kept them safe. But now that you're back.well.I don't know what's going to happen."  
  
"Riiiiiiiight," I said as I turned on my heel. I had heard the God of War was a bit extreme, but I never imagined he was crazy.  
  
"Rayelle, wait! I'm serious!"  
  
"Stay away from me, Ares!" I shouted as I desperately tried to open the locked doors.  
  
A shimmer of pink sparkles announced the arrival of Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love. She ran over to me and hugged me, a tear running down her cheek. I was too stunned to move as I watched the goddess make a big fuss over how big I was. "Oh, the last time I saw you, you were like this big," whined Aphrodite, holding out her hands to show how big Rayelle was. "I'm so glad you're back, Rayellie!" All of a sudden, she got a gigantic smile on her face. "Look, babe, we are gonna have sooooo much fun giving you a makeover, right Ares?"  
  
"Aphrodite, you know I don't do makeovers! Besides, Rayelle is a warrior," Ares said proudly.  
  
"How did you know?" I asked.  
  
"I can see it in your eyes," he answered.  
  
"Well, I think she should be the one to decide if she wants a makeover," said Aphrodite. "Well???"  
  
"Umm, ok, sure," I said. Aphrodite make a sound that resembled a squeal. "But I still think you've both lost your marbles. I'm not a goddess!"  
  
"Sure you are, sweetie!" Aphrodite said. "C'mon Ares, let's give her powers back!"  
  
"Well do you think she's ready?"  
  
Aphrodite rolled her eyes, "Duh! You worry too much, Ares, she'll be FINE!"  
  
Ares and Aphrodite then held hands, closed their eyes, and concentrated with every ounce of godly energy they had. A small bottle that was filled with purple, shimmery mist appeared in mid air. Ares took the bottle and walked over to me.  
  
"This bottle contains your godhood, Rayelle. Aphrodite and I have kept it safe all these years that you were living in Talpodia. When this bottle is opened, the powers it contains will inhibit the true Goddess of Passion. This is the only way we can prove to you that you really are our daughter, and a goddess."  
  
Ares opened the bottle.  
  
  
  
CHAPTER FOUR  
  
As soon as Ares opened the bottle, the purple, shimmery mist crept out of the bottle and headed right towards me. I had only half-believed their story-I wished it was real and that I really was a goddess, but that all changed as soon as Ares opened the bottle. I could feel the godly power released, and as it came closer and closer to me, I could feel myself soaking it up. The mist was all around me now, and it seemed to me seeping through my body and into my soul. I don't know how to describe it-it just felt so.right. It was like a part of me that had been missing my whole life was there again. I was the Goddess of Passion, and I knew things. I knew how to give someone a passion for something, and I knew the things about life that only gods know and mortals don't. What these things are, I cannot tell you, but I was a full goddess. I remembered my past, living for many years up on Mount Olympus and barely aging, and I remembered Ares bringing me to Talpodia for the first time because he sensed I was in danger. I became suddenly aware of who I was, and of all the power I possessed. It was almost as if I could breathe again after a lifetime of being held underwater without air! It was indescribable!  
  
"So, how does it feel?" asked Ares, grinning at my wide-eyes.  
  
"I.I'm home!" I realized.  
  
Aphrodite smiled at me, and said, "Welcome back, Rayellie!"  
  
Ares and Aphrodite then brought me up to Olympus and led me to my own Hall. It was just how I remembered it, minus the baby toys. The walls were violet and I there were two huge windows lined with silver curtains on either side of the hall that revealed Olympus in all its glory. The floor was made of a rare violet marble that had silver specs embedded in it. My throne was a shimmery silver, with deep violet cushions that relaxed me completely when I sat on them. My living quarters on Olympus were connected to my hall by a silver doorway, which only I could pass through unless another had my blessing.  
  
I instantly felt at home, and I had just begun to rest on my comfortable throne when I saw a frenzy of pink sparkles enter my hall. Aphrodite rushed over, grabbed my hand, and shimmered us into her living quarters, which can be described in one word: pink. The walls were pink, the bed was a pink heart, the soft, fluffy carpet was pink, and her vanity with all her potions and perfumes was pink. She snapped and suddenly a huge, full- length mirror appeared in front of them.  
  
"Ok, babe. First we gotta get you an outfit. How about something.pink!" Aphrodite snapped and I was wearing this disgusting pink outfit with feathers, bows, frills, and fluff.  
  
"Umm, Aphrodite, I was thinking something a little more warrior-like, and no pink. My color is definitely violet."  
  
"Hmm.well, you have a point about the violet thing, but I still say you need the feathers and bows," Aphrodite whined.  
  
"No, how about something like this," I snapped my fingers and I was wearing a silver-studded halter-top and a short skirt made of violet leather.  
  
The Goddess of Love tilted her head to the side, told me to turn around, and she decided it was to her satisfaction. "Now, we gotta work on your makeup!"  
  
I let out a groan: this was going to be a looooooong night.  
  
  
  
The next day I shimmered into Ares' hall, which was decorated similarly to his temple. "Wow," he commented, "You look great! You're gonna knock 'em dead at the grand ball tonight."  
  
I sighed. Aphrodite kept me up all night making plans for the ball. The ball was to welcome me back into the family of gods, and to tell the truth, I was a little sick of hearing about it.  
  
Ares motioned for me to come closer to him and said, "So, Rayelle, tell me about your life. We've got a lot of catching up to do."  
  
I proceeded to tell Ares about my life in Talpodia, about me fighting and defeating that warrior in the tavern, and about Hercules teaching me how to fight. Ares gritted his teeth when I told him that part-I guess he doesn't like him much. It was then that I realized that Hercules, being the son of Zeus, was Ares' half brother, which meant that Hercules was my uncle! Who'd have thought? I made a mental note to stop by and visit him sometime. When I told Ares about my journey to his temple, and how I was moving from village to village helping people in need, he rolled his eyes and said, "You remind me so much of your mother."  
  
  
  
CHAPTER FIVE  
  
"My mother???" I asked. "You told me my mother was evil!"  
  
"She was evil. Of course, she's not evil anymore. Your mother was once my warlord, and she had a very evil reputation. But then she met your Uncle Hercules, and he changed her, and made her good. She spent the rest of her life traveling with her soul mate and helping anyone in need. She tried to make up for the evil that she'd done in her life."  
  
"Who was she?" I asked, intrigued.  
  
"That's not important, Rayelle. I really don't like to talk about her, she's been dead for many years. You see, your mother was an enemy to many of the gods, and I don't want any of them to know that you're her daughter. Right now they all think you're the daughter of Aphrodite and me, and that's how it's going to stay. Tell no one what you know about your mother or you may be in great danger. Do you understand me?"  
  
"Yes, Ares, I understand."  
  
  
  
Ares and I have not spoken of my mother since. I have been busy with my duties as the Goddess of Passion, and I even have a few temples here and there. I don't know if you know this, Xena, but the gods can watch mortals from Olympus, and I've been watching you. I've read about you in the scrolls, and.well.it's possible."  
  
"So what are you saying?" asked Xena, who had been patiently listening to Rayelle's story. "That I'm your mother?"  
  
"Well, it's possible. Everything Ares told me about my mother points directly to you, Xena."  
  
Xena stood up and was at a loss of words to say. Gabrielle said, "Well, it's true that there is a possibility."  
  
Xena looked up with tears in her eyes and managed to say, "Well, Rayelle, when I was working for Ares, we did have a.relationship, and for a time I did fear that I was pregnant. But then when I waited, I was assured that I wasn't, and I'd never even imagined that Ares would take you from me."  
  
Now Rayelle had tears in her eyes too. "So, you're my.my mom."  
  
  
  
  
  
To Be Continued.... 


End file.
